Adult Education

Continuing Education Program 5779 (2018-19)

“THE MISHNA: A RADICAL BOOK FOR TROUBLED TIMES”

Teacher: Rabbi Don Weber

DAYTIME AND EVENING CLASSES

It was a turbulent time: Destruction of the community, threats to Jewish survival, and people claiming that Jews are not loved by God anymore. The Jewish leaders of the day – the rabbis – decided it was time to write down everything they did as Jews and how they did it. Part of their reason was so Jews could take Judaism with them wherever went, and part was to create a “time capsule” in case things truly went bad.

The result of that decision was The Mishna: the first attempt to write down what Jews did to live lives that were true to the Torah – to God’s word. Most of what we know as “Judaism” today comes from this book – even more than from the Torah!

We will begin with As a Driven Leaf, a historical novel which brings some of the Mishna’s main characters to life and helps us understand the challenging times in which they lived. We will then study of some of the most relevant parts of the Mishna itself, unedited but in English. Our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped Jewish life for the next 2,000 years, and to see how the rabbis’ concept of Jewish life can guide our own Jewish lives.

This class is open to people of every level and every background. Participants will be asked to read in preparation for class and to participate in class discussions, but there are no tests, so everyone can relax and enjoy studying together.

FREE for temple members; the two texts will cost approximately $30 total.

Non-Members: $150 for the full-year course, including the book and Mishna text.

Evening classes will meet on alternate Thursday evenings, from 8:00 to 9:40 p.m., beginning September 27.

Daytime classes will meet on alternate Monday afternoons, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m., beginning October 8.

Join us for our annual Shabbat service, dinner and study evening. Perfect for families! This year we will dive into four separate Jewish musical periods:

* Music of the Torah and Rabbinic Period

* Music of the Middle Ages

* Music of the European Reformers

* Modern Jewish Music

As we experience each period we will learn about the composers, their world, and the music they created. Then we will pray using our new musical vocabulary. Pot-luck dinner; main course provided, and each participant will be asked to bring a side dish or dessert. Free to everyone, but RSVP to the temple office is required in advance.